Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1887-12-16
A CHINESE HOME.
Domestic Life Of an Asiatic
Family in New York.
Duties and Accomplishments
of a Chinaman's Wife.

SO far as is known, there arc only
fourteen Chinese women IN New York
Gays a writer in the Detroit Tribune.
or these nine arc married, ono Is a
widow, one an unmarried girl. one a
nursc aud two anonyma Although
residents OF the United States, they
obey to the very letter the strange sys-
tenn OF law and custom which obtains in
the flowcry kingdom, system which
strongly resembles the treatment Of
n queen bco in an apiary by her
droncs AMI workers Five OF those
women celebrated their marriage vows
in China, two ia San francisco aud two
in New York. The moment tho mon.
golinn dnmsl becomes tho property OF
her hu,ban la little more SO than they
do IN America. Her spouse has the
| privilege, as nll husband, tho world
over 10 chile, scold aud chastiso hor for
her faults, aud thcy assert that In case of
grave crime hc has the right to kill her.
ln his punishment he may put her on
what we would call bread aud watcr
diet, keep her locked up in bedroom,
closet or cellar or beat her with his hand
or bamboo rod. In this respect
the Chinese law is almost facsimile Of
the common law which prevailed in T. ig-
land aud this country uatil about 1875,
and which allowed the husband to "cor.
rect" his wife with "ihc open hand or n
| light rod - but not with ''thc clcnchcd
fist nor club" undcr this custom the
average Acknowledged woman cxpscts 10
bo beaten with a regularity proportional
TO her qued lords affections, and like
the wives of English "navyics" regard
the omission Of corporal punishment as
sure evidence OF the loss Of his love.
In Now YORK tia, Chinese family lives
In the same Hat or building as
that Ia which tho patcrfamiIias
does busiac5s. To the wife is
allotted ono, two or three rooms, accord
Ing to his wealth. From these she
practically never stirs. Either tho hus-
/ NAtN VI 1ii hUfh MT tll1 InhfNCAtUV
and shopping. Still worse, she must
not receive calls from the opposite sex
excepting in rare cases when the husband
presents nn intimate friend. o. such
an occasion tho visitor bows repeatedly,
shakes his own hand vigorously for
minute or two, utters the usual storco-
typed remarks about tho health OF her
self, cousin and friends, and departs
without once hayi1g looked at her face.
She goes TO no places OF amu3emcnt and
never walks upon the street. Sho roads
but little aud that love stories, love
poems and religious books. But she
can generally cook, weave, crochet, en-
broIder and keep house" miraculously.
A dinner with Mo Kco, a leading
importer and banker at No. Mott
street, or with Fnong Hong Long at
No. 8, is an event which will bear
comparison with banquet at Dsimon-
ico's or the Hoffman house. The wife
will take dozen eggs, pierce them at
either end, blow out tho coDtents, refill
thom with var-eoiored and varl.
favored custards and cilies, seal sho
apcriures and thea when cooked paint
tho shells until they aro nightmare of
dragons, flying Rriiiins and impossible
trees that look like men and men that
look like trees. Sho will open and
steam fish until the skin can
be removed without losing scale
aud the bones without breaking tho
Gesh u IS stuffed with an aromatic
and pungont mess Of meats aud spices
Then the skin Is put back aud The eyes
and head touched up 50 % 70 De half
natural and half gfotesque. Most of
her culinary genius Is expended on
stews and made dishes. Hero she uses
every article known 10 ths psrisian chef
and President Black ford Of tho Ich.
ihcopha9ous club aod a host of food
substances, spices md condiments Tor
which there are no names 60 any a.
ths European lanpuagof Her skill
30 weaving aud cmhfoiding
elk is equally efcat with a.
needle no finer than that which her oo-
cidental sister uscs she will construct a
dragon an inch long and a hair iacb
high, of which not only the teeth, eyes
and claws are perfect. bat oven the
pupil, iris and cornea and ihs difference
between tho inoisors and CANNES Gre
clearly and naturally defined An altar
cloth u dragons IN the JOS house ~ e0s
Cathan square and moving screen Of
peacocks at 80. Mott street arc COOL
illustrations Of this marvellous workman.
ship md probably could not bo dupli.
Gated anywhere 10 Chfislendom.